Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, work life and housing tenure.

The population passed 57,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Ribble Valley increased by 5.9%, from just under 54,000 to 57,100.

The addition of almost 3,200 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Ribble Valley was home to, on average, 0.7 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Ribble Valley

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Ribble Valley increased by three years, from 41 to 44 years.

This agricultural area had a higher average age than the North West and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 1,900 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 2,000.

About 14% of people in Ribble Valley are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Ribble Valley by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Ribble Valley

The number of people in Ribble Valley that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 46,000 in 2001 to about 45,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 85% to 78% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the North West (from 78% to 67%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Ribble Valley that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 4,400 in 2001 to just under 8,300 in 2011 (from 8.2% to 15%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 2,900 to about 3,400 (from 5.4% to 6.0%).

About 430 people (0.6%) said they were Muslim, up from about 330 in 2001 (0.7%).

The population who identified as Christian in Ribble Valley decreased by 7.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Ribble Valley by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Ribble Valley working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 17% to 13% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.2%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Ribble Valley decreased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Ribble Valley, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Ribble Valley

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership increased in Ribble Valley, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the North West, except South Lakeland.

Every local authority area across the North West saw a rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership, as the regional average grew from 30% to 36%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Changing work life

The rate of self-employment increased in Ribble Valley, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the North West, except Blackpool and Eden.

Across the North West, the proportion of self-employed people increased from 7.1% to 8.2% between the last two censuses, while the proportion in Pendle (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Ribble Valley) increased from 8.2% to 8.9%.

The rate of self-employment was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

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